To Be Loved
Again, sorry for the wait. I just hate typing with a passion. Weird because I want to be an English teacher.
I have a question for you readers. I'm thinking of ending this story after either the failed Sasuke retrieval or the Gaara Kidnapping arc. Which one do you guys think? I am willing to make a sequel/part 2 so keep that in mind. I don't want to go too far into Shippuuden though.
Anyways, thanks to Yami Mizuna and fanficisawesome for reviewing. And a special thanks to Orinator for your enthusiastic reviewing of not only the latest chapter, but previous ones as well.
Chapter 36
I sweatdropped as Naruto turned from me and started to argue with the little frog. It was little. a tiny frog really. Definitely not the one he'd summoned before using the Kyuubi's chakra. My arm throbbed and I winced from the pain. It was useless. The chakra I was desperately pumping into it was the last of my reserves. It would be almost impossible to try to seal either demons at this point. That and the fact that one of my arms is completely useless!
As I grimaced, Shukaku engulfed more of Gaara's body, leaving only his leg out.
It grumbled out a fierce roar and broke off the sand column holding Sakura to the tree. She was still being held against it with sand, but now Gaara could move freely.
"She won't be released from the sand unless you beat me," Shukaku goaded, "Not only that, it'll get tighter and tighter as time passes and it'll eventually kill her."
Apparently frustrated with Naruto's lack of response, Shukaku shot sand projectiles at him, forcing my brother to pick up the frog and jump backwards. A few hit him and he fell onto a branch.
"Naruto!" I shouted. I took a deep breath and jumped to his side. The landing was a little shaky and it jarred my arm pretty badly, but I didn't fall. "Are you okay Naruto?"
He nodded and stared at Gaara, almost fully the demon.
"Who's the broad?" The frog spoke. I looked down at it in disgust.
"We have more important matters," I spat at it.
At it's astonished look, I turned back to the demon.
"What's the matter? Are you scared?" Shukaku growled, "C'mon! Fight me! Show me the power you used to defeat that Hyuuga boy! I will crush them!"
Sakura squaked in pain as the sand tightened around her. I needed to get her out of that so Naruto could fight without worrying. As that thought came to mind, I remembered Sasuke. Where was he? I looked around and saw him a few trees away, still in pain. He'd be first on my list to help since you know, he's still conscious.
I steeled myself for the jump, then took off.
An almighty roar scared the shit out of me and I immediately jumped to a higher branch. Luckily for me the roar had scared me away from three long sand spikes jutting from the tree branch I'd been about to jump on.
"Oh Tsuki! Let's play. Your brother is no fun!" Shukaku spat at me, and turned a manic smile at me. He threw himself off his branch and charged at me. I ignored Naruto and Pakkun's cry of fear and jumped away, cringing in pain the whole while.
"Gaara! The demon hasn't taken over you fully! Fight him!" I screamed as I ran from the boy I'd always loved as a little brother.
"Gaara doesn't need you anymore. He's never needed you! And once you are dead, we can go back to fulfilling our reason to live!"
I lept onto a branch near Sasuke and suddenly couldn't run anymore. My limbs wouldn't work.
I fell to my knees and panted. Blood still oozed from my arm and it was crusted around my mouth. What felt like a mountain barreled into me and I screamed.
It hurt! Oh dear Kami it hurt!
Giant sand hands once again wrapped around me.
"Oh hello Tsuki, so nice seeing you here." Shukaku teased, tightening his hold on me.
I looked behind him and saw tons of Naruto clones flying at him. Shukaku sensed it and turned around, and sucked in a huge breath. He blew it out and the clones flew back into the trees, then disappeared. "Would you like to watch me kill him?"
I shuddered at the bloodlustful deadly voice that now sounded nothing like Gaara.
My Gaara.
Shukaku moved so that I was sucked into the sand of his chest. It covered up to my neck so I could not move.
I could see Naruto getting up and looked away when Shukaku shot him down again and again.
"Stop!" I cried in horror as my baby brother was beat with the sand. "Leave him alone! Please!"
We watched as Naruto summoned more clones and jumped at the demon again. I don't think he knew I was there. Shukaku shot his sand arm at them, they attached to it and summoned more clones. The real Naruto spun behind the demon and yelled, "Hidden Leaf Ancient Taijutsu Supreme Technique!" He shoved a kunai into Shukaku's butt and stopped. It did nothing.
All of the spectators looked on in disbelief. Did he seriously just try to use Kakashi's stupid technique on a demon?
The answer to that question is yes, and the keyword: try.
"Naruto you idiot!" I shouted. He looked at me in confusion and fear.
As realisation dawned on his face, he lurched towards me.
"TSUKI!"
The world exploded.
Well that's what it felt like.
I was blasted forwards and landed on a person, or make that two as there were two grunts when I hit them.
"Tsuki! Oh shit! Dear Kami, she's bleeding so much! It's everywhere. Kankuro what do we do?!" Temari's stuffy voice pushed it's way into my ringing ears. I couldn't hear Kankuro's response.
Two strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me close.
Everything hurt. I'm pretty sure I blacked out from the pain. My arm, my chest, my face; they all were on fire!
"Tsuki, stay awake. Come on, you gotta stay awake. You're losing so much blood, and there's nothing we can do. You gotta stay awake." Kankuro's voice fluttered by.
"TSUKI!" I distantly heard Sasuke or Naruto scream.
They sounded so similar. I wonder why I never noticed how much both boys sounded like each other. I turned my head in their general direction but couldn't make out much besides two huge blobs duking it out in the trees. Was that the Kyuubi and Shukaku?
Huh.
Wait! I can seal them!
I thrusted my arms over at the blobs but they wouldn't go. Well that's weird. Usually my arms work. Maybe they're asleep. I should go to sleep.
Mmmmmm sleepy.
I shut my eyes and all turned black.
I woke up to Temari and Kankuro transfixed. I turned and gasped. The Kyuubi and Shukaku?! OH SHIT! I struggled to get to my feat, prepared to convert some of my life force into chakra so I could seal one of them. But my limbs wouldn't obey me. They would only lie there Useless.
As we watched, the Kyuubi changed into the huge frog from Naruto's training and grabbed Shukaku. Something was going on on top of their heads, but I couldn't make it out. My vision kept blurring.
Suddenly, Shukaku was gone and sand fell in gallons to the ground. Seconds later, the huge frog disappeared as well. The fight was over.
"Come on. We gotta go get Gaara and scram," Kankuro finally spoke up in shock.
He carefully picked me up and the two siblings began the short trip to my friends.
He was gentle and made sure not to jostle me too much. It's not like it would have mattered. I was numb. I saw Sasuke holding Sakura and sighed in relief. At least she was safe.
We arrived in a small clearing where Gaara and Naruto were. Sasuke was next to my brother, stopping him from going further.
"Tsuki!" Sasuke shouted. He, Gaara, and Naruto turned to look at me. Naruto with relief and worry, Gaara with guilt and sadness.
"Set me down next to Gaara please," I whispered.
Kankuro did as I'd asked.
I turned my head to look at the red-haired boy.
"Tsuki," he whispered, and tears pooled at the edges of his eyes. "I hurt you. My precious person. You loved me."
I chuckled softly, and reached over to brush a hand across his brow.
"I still do sweetheart. You are and always will be one of my precious people. I will always forgive you. Yes even if you happen to hurt me. I love you so much Gaara." I wiped away one of his tears and chuckled as he still looked shocked. I wiggled over and planted a kiss on his 'Love' tattoo.
"Tsuki," he warbled.
Two arms picked me up, and I looked to see Sasuke carrying me over to my brother. I was set down and immediately hugged the boy.
"I'm so glad you're alright," I mumbled into his hair as he nuzzled me, "You had me so fucking worried."
"Tsuki," he choked, and burst into tears in my arm. I knew that he was thinking of how lonely Gaara had been. He was over-exaggerating a bit, I mean, he did have me for most of his life. I never let him be lonely when I could help it.
Sasuke eyed the sand siblings warily.
"Enough, stop it." Gaara demanded.
Kankuro looked back at his younger brother in shock.
"Understood." He replied. He picked Gaara up and the three jumped away.
I looked down to find Naruto fast asleep in my arms. I smiled.
"Let's go home Sasuke."
He summoned two clones to carry our teammates and carried me himself.
"You're getting so much stronger," I told him. "Naruto's not the only one."
He just pulled me closer and continued the journey back to the village. Pakkun, who had apparently told Kakashi of our return, disappeared in a puff of smoke.
The team leaders met us at the gate.
"Dear Kami, what happened to you?!" Kurenai shrieked when she laid eyes on my battered bloody body. I chuckled weakly.
"My little brothers."
Sasuke smirked down at me.
"Mission failed sensei," he told Kakashi.
The man swept a hand through his hair. His mask was still down. "As long as you kids are alright."
Medics came and collected us and Sasuke dismissed his clones. We were rushed to the hospital and when told I couldn't feel anything, they immediately put me under.
I awoke two days later, tired, sore and definitely not up to parr.
I turned to see Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi, all looking perfectly fine but for the grieving looks on their faces. Sasuke had a wheelchair and they carefully set me in it. I was wheeled out of the hospital and to the Hokage's tower.
My heart sunk.
Sarutobi. No.
Before we even entered, tears were dripping down my face. We went up to the roof and joined the already assembled ninjas and citizens all dressed in black.
It was raining. Fitting.
I sat and cried as the pastor read of Sarutobi's goodness and his helpfulness. He was an inspiration, and in fact was one of the reason Naruto wanted to be Hokage. He'd done so much for Naruto. For me, for us, for everyone. There'd never be another like him.
I held Naruto and Sasuke's hands as the ceremony proceeded. Then suddenly, I had a lap full of sobbing children.
Konahamaru and his friends clung to me in grief. I hugged them and cried with them. Our Leader was dead. Our father figure, our protector, our grandfather, our confident, our friend was gone.
Gone.
Gone.
Gone.
I pulled the three closer and allowed our tears, pain, sadness, and anger to mix. Naruto and Sakura soon joined the three children, putting some serious strains on the cast on my arm and the wheelchair itself, but I didn't care. I pulled them all to me and we shared our sorrow.
Sasuke got as close as could be allowed and wrapped himself around us.
We shared our sorrow.
We shared our love.
The rain cleared up and people started leaving.
"Tsuki?"
I looked down at Naruto as he wiped tears from his eyes.
"Why are humans born when all we do is die?"
The others all looked up at me.
I sighed.
"Naruto, we are born for the sake of living."I told him.
"That doesn't make sense," Sakura sniffled.
"Listen to me darling. We are born and then we live. We go from babies, to toddlers to children to teenager to adults to elders. In all those years, we live. You live your life as much as possible and then you must die to make up for all the living. Life has to balance itself out. You can't be have life without death," I explained.
The kids in my lap all thought.
I glanced around to see some of the lingering adults listening to us.
"So you mean, life is a privilege?" Konahamaru spoke up.
I smiled at him.
"Good job. Yes life is a privilege and a gift. That is why, you need to go through life making the most of it," I saw small smiles beginning to light up their faces, "Make friends and memories and the most of your life. Do as much as you can. Find some precious people and keep them close. Don't let them go. That way, when death comes, you won't regret anything."
There were full out grins on all of their faces, and the tears had stopped streaming from their eyes.
They all closed in and hugged me.
Then, Iruka came to collect the younger children and Naruto and Sasuke wheeled me back to the hospital with Sakura in my lap.
Somehow, my words had lifted their spirits.
They would survive.
We all would.
End Chapter 36
Ooh, an emotional chapter. And a longer one.
Hope you enjoyed.
Sorry for any mistakes!
Tanner Out!